Part 42 (2/2)

'His extravagance, Mr Nickleby,' said Madaainst his easy-chair with his hands behind hiarded the aated conteance is beyond all bounds'

'I should scarcely have supposed it,' answered Ralph, sarcastically

'I assure you, Mr Nickleby, however, that it is,' returned Madame Mantalini 'It makes me miserable! I am under constant apprehensions, and in constant difficulty And even this,' said Mada her eyes, 'is not the worst He took so htly, and buttoned his trousers pocket

'I aed,' continued Mada a great deal ofher nae him in all his wastefulness As I have no doubt that he caht here, Mr Nickleby, to convert the papers I have spoken of, into money, and as you have assisted us very often before, and are very much connected with us in this kind of matters, I wish you to know the determination at which his conduct has coroaned once n into one of his eyes, winked with the other at Ralph Having achieved this perforreat dexterity, he whipped the coin into his pocket, and groaned again with increased penitence

'I have made up my mind,' said Madame Mantalini, as tokens of impatience manifested themselves in Ralph's countenance, 'to allowance him'

'To do that, ht the words

'To put hi at Ralph, and prudently abstaining froraces should induce her to falter in her resolution, 'to put him upon a fixed allowance; and I say that if he has a hundred and twenty pounds a year for his clothes and pocket-money, he may consider himself a very fortunate man'

Mr Mantalini waited, with much decorum, to hear the amount of the proposed stipend, but when it reached his ears, he cast his hat and cane upon the floor, and drawing out his pocket-handkerchief, gave vent to his feelings in a dismalout of his chair, and as suddenly skipping into it again, to the great discomposure of his lady's nerves 'But no It is a de himself with this assurance, Mr Mantalini closed his eyes and waited patiently till such tiement,' observed Ralph with a sneer, 'if your husband will keep within it, ma'am-as no doubt he will'

'De his eyes at the sound of Ralph's voice, 'it is a horrid reality She is sitting there before raceful outline of her for like it The two countesses had no outlines at all, and the dowager's was a dely beautiful that I cannot be angry with her, even now?'

'You have brought it upon yourself, Alfred,' returned Madame Mantalini-still reproachfully, but in a softened tone

'I a hie for a sovereign in halfpence and drown ry with her, even then, for I will put a note in the twopenny-post as I go along, to tell her where the body is She will be a lovelyI shall be a body Soh demnebly'

'Alfred, you cruel, cruel creature,' said Mada at the dreadful picture

'She calls me cruel-me-me-who for her sake will become a demd, damp, moist, unpleasant body!' exclaimed Mr Mantalini

'You know it al,' replied Madame Mantalini

'Can I live to be mistrusted?' cried her husband 'Have I cut my heart into a deiven the demnition captivater, and can I live to be suspected by her? Demmit, no I can't'

'Ask Mr Nickleby whether the sum I have mentioned is not a proper one,' reasoned Madame Mantalini

'I don't want any sum,' replied her disconsolate husband; 'I shall require no demd allowance I will be a body'

On this repetition of Mr Mantalini's fatal threat, Mada her hands, and ireat quantity of tears and talking, and several attempts on the part of Mr Mantalini to reach the door, preparatory to straightway coentleman was prevailed upon, with difficulty, to proreat point attained, Madaued the question of the allowance, and Mr Mantalini did the sa occasion to show that he could live with uncos, but that he could not support existence with the additional burden of being mistrusted by the object of his ht fresh tears into Madaun to open to some few of the demerits of Mr Mantalini, were only open a very little way, and could be easily closed again The result was, that without quite giving up the allowance question, Madame Mantalini, postponed its further consideration; and Ralph saw, clearly enough, that Mr Mantalini had gained a fresh lease of his easy life, and that, for soradation and downfall were postponed

'But it will coht Ralph; 'all love-bah! that I should use the cant of boys and girls-is fleeting enough; though that which has its sole root in the admiration of a whiskered face like that of yonder baboon, perhaps lasts the longest, as it originates in the greater blindness and is fed by vanity Meantirist to er it is, the better'

These agreeable reflections occurred to Ralph Nickleby, as sundry small caresses and endeared between the objects of his thoughts

'If you have nothing more to say, my dear, to Mr Nickleby,' said Madame Mantalini, 'ill take our leaves I a already'

Mr Mantalini answered, in the first instance, by tapping Mada in words that he had nothing h,' he added al Ralph into a corner 'Here's an affair about your friend Sir Mulberry Such a de as never was-eh?'

'What do you mean?' asked Ralph

'Don't you know, demmit?' asked Mr Mantalini

'I see by the paper that he was thrown froht, and severely injured, and that his life is in soreat co extraordinary in that-accidents are not miraculous events, when men live hard, and drive after dinner'

'Whew!' cried Mr Mantalini in a long shrill whistle 'Then don't you knoas?'

'Not unless it was as I have just supposed,' replied Ralph, shrugging his shoulders carelessly, as if to give his questioner to understand that he had no curiosity upon the subject

'Deed his shoulders again, as if it were no great feat to alance at the face of News, which had several tilass in the roo a part of Newman's duty, when uni that the bell had rung for hientle hint to such visitors that it was ti Ralph by the button, 'that it wasn't an accident at all, but a de attack made upon hi his fists and turning a livid white

'Deer as he is,' said Mantalini, alarmed at these demonstrations

'Go on,' cried Ralph 'Tell rowled Ralph 'Do you heartowards his wife, 'what a dehten the life and soul out of her little delicious wits-flying all at once into such a blazing, ravaging, raging passion as never was, de a smile 'It is but manner'

'It is a demd uncomfortable, private- up his cane

Ralph affected to smile, and once more inquired from whom Mr Mantalini had derived his inforentle it is,' replied Mantalini 'Demnition pleasant, and a tip-top sawyer'

'And what said he?' asked Ralph, knitting his brows

'That it happened this way-that your nephew met him at a coffeehouse, fell upon him with the most demneble ferocity, followed him to his cab, swore he would ride home with him, if he rode upon the horse's back or hooked himself on to the horse's tail; smashed his countenance, which is a dehtened the horse, pitched out Sir Mulberry and hilea eyes 'Was he? Is he dead?'

Mantalini shook his head

'Ugh,' said Ralph, turning away 'Then he has done nothing Stay,' he added, looking round again 'He broke a leg or an arround a rib or two? His neck was saved for the halter, but he got so injury for his trouble? Did he? You must have heard that, at least'

'No,' rejoined Mantalini, shaking his head again 'Unless he was dashed into such little pieces that they bleay, he wasn't hurt, for he went off as quiet and comfortable as-as-as demnition,' said Mr Mantalini, rather at a loss for a si a little, 'as the cause of quarrel?'

'You are the de tone, 'the cunningest, rummest, superlativest old fox-oh deht-eyed niece-the softest, sweetest, prettiest-'

'Alfred!' interposed Madaht,' rejoined Mr Mantalini soothingly, 'and when she says it is tio she shall; and when she walks along the streets with her own tulip, the woot a deot a de, upon my life and soul-oh demmit!'